


Learning

by artifactstorageroom3_archivist



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-11-08
Updated: 2009-11-08
Packaged: 2019-06-13 03:32:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15355305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artifactstorageroom3_archivist/pseuds/artifactstorageroom3_archivist
Summary: Jim doesn’t care for Blair’s plans for enhancing their sex life.





	Learning

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Elaine, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Artifact Storage Room 3](https://fanlore.org/wiki/Artifact_Storage_Room_3) and was moved to the AO3 as part of the Open Doors project in 2018. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are the creator and would like to claim this work, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Artifact Storage Room 3’s collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/artifactstorageroom3/profile).
> 
>  **Author's notes:** This was written in response to sentinel_thurs challenge #315– “overkill”  
>  My original intention was to write a little PWP. The result is a fic where actual sex doesn’t get mentioned all that much for the subject matter. I don’t know where I went wrong.

Blair glared at his best friend. No, scratch that. He stared at his soul mate. The man he loved. The man he would do anything for. The man he was contemplating rolling over for.

“I’m just saying that it looks a touch excessive, Chief.” Jim protested under the force of Blair’s glare.

“I’m doing this for us, Jim.”

“And I appreciate it, I really do. But, it’s sex Sandburg. If we figured it out when we were teenagers, I’m sure that we don’t need how to books about it now.”

“Oh, so you were really good at it straight out of the gate, huh? Must have been nice to be a natural at it.” Blair’s voice dripped with sarcasm.

“I didn’t say that. I just mean that we don’t need eleven different books on the subject, and I don’t even want to know how many bottles of lube you bought.”

“Yeah? And how am I supposed to handle it if you zone in the middle of, of, you know? If I have a handbook, then…”

“Are you listening to yourself? Sex should not be dictated by a handbook! Unless… you’re not… are you unsatisfied?” Jim’s uncertainty showed in his face even though his voice kept an even tone.

Blair rolled his eyes and stared up at the ceiling for a moment. Jim was the original Tootsie Pop man - hard and crusty on the outside, soft and gooey on the inside. And so damn unsure of himself that it made Blair want to scream sometimes.

“Jim, I love you, okay? And no you’re not leaving me unsatisfied. But I don’t exactly want to spend the next year of my life fumbling through this gay sex thing when I don’t have to. I really don’t want my gag reflex to kick in the first time I give you a blow job. Or worse than gagging, what if I bite you? That doesn’t sound like lots of fun, does it?”

Jim shook his head, but made an aborted gesture at the books on the table. Then he shrugged his shoulders before looking away.

“Aww, man,” Blair heaved a sigh and walked over to rub his lover’s shoulder gently.

“I hate being a sentinel.” Jim grumbled roughly.

“What?”

“You wouldn’t need all of that if not for the zones and the sensitivities. You’re worried about hurting me, about me freezing and hurting you. You wouldn’t be… If I wasn’t some damn freak, you wouldn’t need all of that. You would’ve just picked up a couple different lubes to test for fun and maybe a book or two for ideas. Instead my sex life is now a living science project complete with multiple sources of information and testing supplies for variables.”

Blair patted the shoulder under his hand and gave it a squeeze. He couldn’t refute Jim’s claim. Several of his purchases were inspired by the fact that he was embarking on a relationship with a sentinel, not just that he and Jim were pretty clueless on how to be intimate with another man. The problem was that Blair saw all the research as an act of love while Jim interpreted the facts more negatively.

He was tempted for a moment to ask Jim more questions, to dig into his lover’s psyche and talk things out. But hadn’t he been doing that for years? He knew how Jim worked. He’d known for a long time now.

He removed his hand from Jim’s shoulder and placed a kiss against the blue flannel shirt that covered it. Without another word, he walked over to the table that held all of his recently purchased books and supplies. With quick, smooth movements he picked out eight books and moved them to the side. Blair then dug through the sack of lube that hadn’t yet been unpacked and pulled out three of the most exciting options and a bottle of his favorite standby.

A short trip into his bedroom followed. There were boxes of things in there that he’d been working on putting away as his relationship with Jim progressed. They were days away from making the upstairs bedroom “theirs” instead of” Jim’s,” and he’d already started to pack away some things so that they could better utilize the smaller room’s space.

Carelessly, Blair upended the first box he came across onto his bed. He took the box back out to the table and unceremoniously dropped the eight books and bag of lube into it. Still not speaking to Jim, even though the other man was outright staring at him, Blair grabbed a sharpie and a roll of duct tape out of the kitchen utility drawer. With sure hands, he taped the box up tightly and wrote Jim’s name on the top in big, bold letters.

“Chief?” Jim finally asked - confusion plain in his voice.

“I don’t see it the way you do, but if it makes you uncomfortable, then I’m not going to do it.”

“Huh?”

“Very eloquent, Ellison. Look we’re in a relationship, right? So that means compromise. This is a big thing for you, but it isn’t a big thing for me, so obviously I should be the one to bend here. Now I do think that you need to get over it being a big thing because you aren’t a freak, and I sure as hell don’t see you as one. But I also know that you need security, so I’m putting these in a box, and you can take them out when you’re ready. Only, the lubes have expiration dates, so you’d better make sure you don’t take too long. I’m not made of money, and I don’t want to lose my investment.”

Jim snorted and a little smile began to tug at his lips. “You don’t do anything halfway; do you?”

“Not you anyway,” Blair rejoined with a lascivious smirk.

Jim sobered and looked over at the box. “You sure about that, Chief? I’m probably just being funny about the whole thing.”

“You are, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t do something to make it easier for you. There are times to push, and there are times to admit that I’m being a little over zealous.”

Jim shook his head and smiled affectionately at his boyfriend. “You picked up one of those relationship books today too, didn’t you?”

“What? You think I can’t come to this conclusion on my own? I do have a minor in psychology.”

“You have a worse track record than I do with staying in a relationship.”

“Oh really?”

“Yes, really. Which one of us actually got married?”

“Which one of us has dated more criminals?” Blair shot back good naturedly.

“That only proves that I don’t have good taste in women. Thankfully, you aren’t one.”

“Hoping your taste in men is better?” Blair asked lightly.

Jim smiled and leaned in so that his lips were right next to Blair’s ear. Whispering so that his breath caressed the delicate skin, he said, “I know it.”


End file.
